It’s been two weeks since I met my goal weight and I am holding steady! It is so exciting. Last night, we had a take out pizza for the first time since August! I had a slice and a half and a handful of raw carrots sans dressing/dipping sauce. Oh, and I had a glass of Cabernet wine.
I’ve decided that maintaining my goal weight will really be about making smart daily decisions. In light of that, I thought I’d share some of what I learned over the last three months about carbs, where you’ll find them and where (surprisingly) you won’t.
Cheers
Let’s start with that glass of wine and some spirits. It’s holiday season, and also a time when we are stressed. Some might turn to alcohol to celebrate or self -medicate. It’s important to know what you are choosing to drink.
The glass of cabernet I had last night was 2.7 carbs and 87 calories per serving. It was a brand called 1000 Stories and quite tasty. The benefit of having a glass of wine (especially red) has been debated over the years but in general is thought to be beneficial to one’s health. Keep in mind, a serving is 5 oz. It is not recommended by anyone to have more than one serving of alcohol per day for women. It also should be noted that there are better ways to deal with stress than to have an alcoholic drink. Let me be clear that I am not recommending one do that, just acknowledging it happens.
I don’t drink too many spirits. In the summer when its very, very hot, I do like a gin and tonic. Gin has no carbs, but watch the mixer. If you stick with tonic water, you’ll have to count about 14 carbs. If you switch to club soda or lime flavored La Croix sparkling water, there are no carbs. The diet doctor website shares more information on alcohol and carbs.
Beer is typically full of carbs. I have to admit that instead of wine Friday night at our cabin, I had a dark German beer called Dunkle. It was the first beer I’ve had since July. It had 240 calories and 16 carbs. Definitely something, like the tonic water, to stay away from on a keto diet plan. While there are some low carb beers out there, most beer will add significant carbs to your diet.
And, remember, alcohol is empty calories. Sure, you might enjoy a drink but it is not doing anything for you nutritionally. To make your diet successful, remember to make your calories count and to count your calories. Alcohol can be consumed on a keto diet but it also can be (and, maybe should be) cut. It is also prudent to be careful while drinking on a keto diet, as your tolerance for alcohol might be lessened. Responsible drinking is always important whether you are on a diet or not.
Snack Chips, Crackers, and Popcorn
One of the things my husband and I missed the most was having a salty, crunchy snack during our 40 gram of carb restricted keto diet. Now that we have both reached our goal weight, we can add some crunch back to our lunch. But, watch the serving size!
A serving of Triscuit brand crackers is six! That’s it! And, those six crackers have 17 grams of carbs and 120 calories! Yikes! And, to think that we used to just eat as many as we wanted – a bowl full! Not anymore!
And, likewise, gone are the days when we fill the plate with corn chips to make a taco salad! Ten Old Dutch brand corn strips are a serving. TEN! The ten chips have 18 grams of carbs and 150 calories. Wow! We were overeating!
Popcorn, on the other hand, can be a keto friendly snack. This article by Popcorn for the People blog spells it out well. Again, moderation is key. We found success by using our “air popper” instead of packaged or microwave popcorn. And, as you might already know butter is an acceptable part of a keto diet! Popcorn is a snack that we’ve indulged in all along while on our diet.
So, as you can tell, you can indulge yourself in a small amount of snacking after you reach your goal weight and sometimes before, if you are careful with what you choose. I hope sharing our experience with the keto diet has been helpful. Next week, I’ll share some sweet treats we’ve discovered along the way, too!
Ciao!
The Apples in My Orchard 